Striking Teenage Portraits Boost Young Photog's Career

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Striking Teenage Portraits Boost Young Photog's Career

For Laura Pannack, a young photographer from the U.K., 2010 has been a busy year. In February, for her portrait "Graham," a teenager suffering anorexia nervosa (above), she won first place in the Portrait Singles category at the World Press Awards. Last month, Pannack was awarded Best in Show at the Foto8 Summershow for her portrait *Shay *(below).

It is Pannack's portraits of British youth – her Untitled and Young Love collections – that have caught the attention and secured the plaudits. The intimacy of those photos stands out from the vast sea of portraiture.

Pannack told Wired.com via e-mail about how she met her subjects, what her expectations are, and where and when these snapshots of youth would grow.

__Wired.com: __How long have you been photographing teenagers and what first attracted you to the subject?

__Laura Pannack: __In my second year of university we had to do a 10-week project so I decided that due to the short timescale I would dedicate it to getting to know a group/community and presenting an insight into their lives. I chose my sisters friends who were all 14/15 at the time. After a few weeks I expanded this to a group I met randomly at the school as I wanted the bond to be fresh. I found the young people all reacted really differently to be photographed and I began to explore the idea of capturing adolescence.

What really got me hooked was when I decided to go on a camp for two weeks to help rehabilitate young people who suffer from emotional distress, time in offending units or continuous foster care. I found as I was neither in a position of authority nor a young person I managed to form close ties with the young people, engage with them and gain their trust.

Wired.com__: __You deliberately obscure the circumstances of your subjects refusing to reveal whether they are are young offenders on probation, youth with special needs or private school pupils. Why is this important?

__Pannack: __Young people are stereotyped and typecast. The media tends to not only influence young people in a negative way but also present them in a generalized light. I wanted to challenge the thoughts of my viewers and ask them to consider how they view young people and look at the subjects as individuals, unique in their own way regardless of their background.

Wired.com__: __Many of the circumstances in which you photograph are apparently very intimate. How do you meet these youngsters? How do you direct them?

__LP: __I scout, research, propose for access, get referrals ... basically I keep my eyes peeled. It depends on the project. Some projects require vigilant access. With regards to Young Love and the Untitled it was a laborious process that involved contacting schools with references. Gaining access. Recycling schools and scouting subjects. Approaching subjects and getting them interested. Gaining parental permission. Arranging times in which to shoot. Shooting during lunch hours and after school.

Wired.com__: __Do you want to photograph these youngsters as they grow older?

__LP: __No. I aim to capture our generation now. I want us to consider who these youngsters will grow up to become. There always needs to be an element of mystery to my imagery. Giving an audience too much information limits the potential of their imaginations.

Wired.com__: __Do you wish you were a teenager again?

__LP: __Sometimes, but I don't think they were most favorite years. However a lot changes between the ages of 13 and 18 ... a lot.

Wired.com__: __From your observations, how is it growing up in Britain these days? Are there any common experiences that your work reflects?

__LP: __As I said, I do think young people are viewed negatively, however, my work aims to show individuals rather than making statements about society in general.

Wired.com__: __From reading your blog, it seems your camera just died. Would you like to give a little eulogy to it here on Raw File?

__LP: __Alas, my Bronica 645 has been leaking light for a while and in denial I have been dotting it in gaffer tape each time I shoot. I recently shot 19 rolls of 120, processed them and revealed nothing but blank film. It seems there is a problem with the shutter. There were tears, but I haven't quite given up yet.

It has been a close friend for some time. We have shared many journeys, met many people. However, there is only so much use a camera can and should take so now is the time for its much needed and deserved TLC.

However, I would like to explore 6x7 and large format as soon as I can get my hands on a few bits of missing kit. I have an RB body but I love my Bronica. It's my baby.

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Pete Brook is a writer, photo-researcher and prison educator based in Seattle. He writes regularly about photography at his blog Prison Photography.